Just in Time

I'm going away to Cape Cod for the weekend, and last night it struck me that I hadn't touched the Saturday Market Bag in a horrifying amount of time. It seems like the perfect accessory for a weekend on the Cape, though, so I powered through the rest of the body (a little over half of the total size) last night, sewed up the sides, and started on the handle; fifteen minutes of work this morning and the first handle was complete. I should have absolutely no problem finishing the second handle tonight even if something comes up (it's so much more delightful working on smaller needles); the bag will be done with one day (of sweater knitting!) to spare. Phew!

I'll be stylin' on the Cape in a mere two days; I can't wait.

J—

Finished Projects (Finally)!

I've been really bad about this blogging thing. So bad, in fact, that I don't have my usual notes for the projects I'm going to show off today. I guess this will be a bit of an eye candy post, then—so enjoy that much, at least!

First up? The Shoulder-Warmer. Admittedly, this was a bit of a stash buster for me (and, as you'll note, it doesn't really cover my shoulders).



I used Lion Brand's Homespun (bulky) for the main color and TLC Cotton Plus (worsted) for the contrast color. It's a bit silly for an article of clothing, but I think it would be nice with a long skirt for a day at the beach in early autumn—when the sun is still hot during the day, but the air cools off significantly as it begins to set.



Can you guess what this next one is?



Why, it's Clapotis, of course! I had made a scarf-sized version for my mother a while back. For this one, I did the full size, or close to it. I didn't count how many repeats of the length I did; rather, I knit until it seemed almost long enough, and then started the decrease rows. I also twisted the stitched around the drop rows, this time on both the right side and the wrong side, and I'm happy with the result (even happier than I was when only twisting the stitches on the right side). As for the needles, I used my KnitPicks Options circulars, I believe in size US 4.

The yarn is a lovely (and thin—1100 yards in one 16 oz. skein) variegated rayon/silk (80%/20%) from Interlacements. The color is Stained Glass (which, by the way, looks nothing like it did on the website; the Renaissance colorway, on the other hand, looks quite the same in my hands as it does on the site). It had quite a few bits where the yarn was damaged, but I don't think it really affects this project much; the drop rows draw your attention away from it. And the yarn, although it split easily, has a gorgeous shine, lovely drape, and is quite soft against the skin. I'm very happy with how this project turned out.



See? Isn't that yarn gorgeous?

J—

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder (Let's Hope)

I got my free issue of Interweave Knits (Spring 2007) a few weeks ago in the mail. There were some pretty gorgeous projects, but I'm not at the point where I feel it's necessary to subscribe to a knitting magazine. I love knitting, and I am certainly a "knitter," (my recent fascination with the construction and stitch patterns of sweaters is a pretty keen clue), but I have enough other things taking up my time that I'm not one of those people who can pound out projects left and right. I do rather like the Dollar and a Half Cardigan, though. Maybe this winter I'll work up the courage to knit a sweater.

I have a horrible backlog of projects to post about. Really, it's disgusting. Maybe I'll get on that tomorrow (but only if I manage to get some good pictures of said projects; we'll see). In the meantime, I've been working on the Saturday Market Bag here and there. I've more or less finished the first panel of the bag itself (although I'm knitting one long panel, which I will then fold in half and sew up the sides). It's an easy knit, but I hate working with bulky needles, so progress has been slow.

J—

Old hat, New Hat

My step father gets cold in the house. A lot. Last Christmas, Mom suggested that I knit him a hat, so I did. He wears it all the time now, and my mother is sick to death of it. Ha! Anyway, because of that, I decided to knit him something new for father's day.



Can you guess what it is?

Why, it's another hat, of course!



The first one is posed there in the background, as well, quite peeved at having its thunder stolen.

I can't recall what pattern I based the first hat on, but the new hat comes from the Seaman's Cap pattern (Google cache). I was low on the brown yarn, so the part under the brim is all blue. The new hat went over well; let's hope it gives the old one some much-needed R&R.



J—

Mystery

Contrary to what my lack of posting has suggested, I have not drowned in the nor'easter, and I have, in fact, been knitting. Here is proof:



and



One of these two objects has been completed. But I am heading off to New York for the weekend, so you shall have to wait until I get back to New England to find out which. In the meantime, happy guessing!

J—

Clapotis Mark II

Very little knitting is getting done these days, much to my dismay; my new job is to thank for that. For the first week or two, I spent my morning and evening commutes people-watching (I swear, it's far more interesting than it sounds); this week, however, I finally broke down and started knitting on the train. I reserve my lunch breaks for reading, so why not my commute for knitting?

Clapotis numero dos has been claiming all of my attention lately. Somewhere along the line, I just couldn't stand to look at socks anymore (I think my sizing frustrations with Hedera are to blame). I like knitting socks, but I don't know that I'll ever be a sock knitter. I'm much happier knitting things that will show themselves off more readily.

Not that that's the reason I knit—but I digress.

Photos of the Clapotis-in-progress will come at some point. It's a full-sized version, unlike the thin scarf-like one I gave to my mother. This one is for me. It is silken and luxurious, and I can't wait to show if off when it's finished. Thankfully, not only do the colors go with my favorite fall/winter coat—they also stand out beautifully on their own, making it a fabulous spring wrap.

Clapotis, O Clapotis;
Only other knitters know
Just how much I love thee.

I . . . wow.

I think I shall stick to pictures next time,

—J

Urban Necessity gloves

Pattern: Urban Necessity Gloves by the Subway Knitter



Yarn: TLC Cotton Plus, medium blue (51% cotton, 49% acrylic).
Needles: 4.00mm nickel-plated circulars (KnitPicks Options)
Time: Five days, maybe a little less.
Modifications: Horizontal thumb hole added.
Skills Learned: Basic glove construction, thumb gusset.



Comments: Urban necessity indeed! For my first pair of gloves, this could not have gone any better. Any errors that occurred were easily cover up in finishing. As for this yarn, heaven help me, I love it. The softness of cotton, with an extra sheen—lovely. Durable, but nice against the skin. For an acrylic blend, it really is quite pleasant.

Were I to make these again, I'd add a little length to the palms, as I have rather large hands, and they feel a bit short. I would also like, at some point, to extend the length of the wrists a bit, as I was rather in a rush—but for now, they have been working well, and I wear them constantly.



—J

New England necessity

Lately I can't seem to keep my mind on a project for long, which might just be a sign that I'm sick of knitting socks. It's not that I don't love knitting socks—because I do. They're the perfect portable project, and I love the magic of the short-row heel. But clearly, I need to clear my head. I've knit the first few rows of a garter stitch dishcloth, trying to teach myself Continental. It's odd, and very slow-going at the moment, but if I ever hope to do any colorwork, I'm going to have to get used to it. I figure a dishcloth or three should do nicely to get my fingers adjusted.

Then it occurred to me yesterday—it's winter. Those of you in New England might not have believed me, a week ago; but winter it is. Winter in New England, and I can't seem to find a pair of gloves anywhere in my apartment. And, as I am currently poor and unemployed, I figure I'd just have to make do without them. No longer; I actually have enough yarn lying around to knit a pair! Fantastic. I'm going the combined fingerless glove/mitten route, and am just a thumb and some finishing shy of completing the fingerless glove portion of the first of the pair. I figure I'll knit both gloves first, and add the mitten flaps later—at least that way, I'll have a working pair of gloves within the next few days. (Pictures will emerge soon; I promise.)

Clearly, these gloves were exactly the project I needed to clear my head. Also, glove contruction is a lot easier than I'd expected—perhaps I'll be able to manage the Mermaid Gloves on my own, after all. That is, once I can afford the yarn.

—J